Juliet

Nurse

Lady Capulet

Nurse

Now, I swear by the virginity I was still hanging on to when I was 12, I’ve already called that girl! Come, lamb! Come, darling! God forbid! Where’s that girl? What’s up with you girl?

[Enter Juliet]

Juliet

Hey, who’s calling me?

Nurse

Your mother.

Juliet

Mother, I’m here. What would you like?

Lady Capulet

Here’s the issue. Nurse, leave us alone for a while, we need to talk in private. Nurse, come back. On second thought, you should hear this discussion. You know my daughter’s becoming a lovely young woman.

Your mother.

Juliet

Madam, I am here. What is your will?

Lady Capulet

This is the matter. Nurse, give leave awhile,

We must talk in secret. Nurse, come back again.

I have remember'd me, thou's hear our counsel.

Thou know'st my daughter's of a pretty age.

Nurse

Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour.

Lady Capulet

She's not fourteen.

Nurse

I'll lay fourteen of my teeth — and yet, to my teen be it

Nurse

I know Juliet’s age to the hour.

Lady Capulet

She’s not yet fourteen.

Nurse

I’ll bet fourteen of my teeth--alas for me, I’ve only got four left--that she’s not yet fourteen. How long till the August harvest festival?

Lady Capulet

Two weeks and and a few odd days.

Nurse

I don’t care if they’re even days or odd days, but I know on the evening before the Harvest festival, she’ll be fourteen.

spoken, I have but four — she is not fourteen. How long is it

Wordplay

“four” and “teen”

[Click to see note.]

Wordplay

“four” and “teen”

In this moment of wordplay, the nurse says she'll bet fourteen of her teeth that Juliet is not yet 14. But she also admits that she has only "four" teeth, which would cause her "teen," or grief, if it were widely known.

now to Lammas-tide?

Lady Capulet

A fortnight and odd days.

Nurse

Even or odd, of all days in the year,

Wordplay

“odd”

[Click to see note.]

Wordplay

“odd”

The Nurse frequently misinterprets the words of others and misuses her own. Shakespeare highlights this trait in this moment of wordplay:

The Nurse, however, is referring to an odd, as opposed to even, number. Once again, she misunderstands Lady Capulet's words for comedic effect.

Come Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen.

Susan and she — God rest all Christian souls —

Were of an age. Well, Susan is with God;

Performance

Lines 18-26

[Click to launch video.]

She was too good for me. But, as I said,

On Lammas-eve at night shall she be fourteen;

That shall she. Mary, I remember it well.

(Nurse)

She and my daughter Susan--God rest her soul--were the same age. Well, Susan is with God now, she was too good for me. But, as I said, on July 31, at night, she’ll be fourteen. Indeed, I remember it well. It was eleven years ago on the day of the earthquake--I’ll never forget that!. I was weaning her nursing at my breast, and it just so happened that on that day I had put some bitter-tasting wormwood on my nipple so she would reject it, and I was sitting against that wall of the pigeon coop.

'Tis since the earthquake now eleven years.

And she was wean'd, — I never shall forget it, —

Of all the days of the year, upon that day,

For I had then laid wormwood to my dug,

Sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall.

My lord and you were then at Mantua: —

Nay, I do bear a brain — but, as I said,

When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple

Of my dug and felt it bitter, pretty fool,

To see it tetchy and fall out with the dug!

“Shake!”, quoth the dove-house. Twas no need, I trow,

(Nurse)

You and my lord were in Mantua--what a memory I have. But as I was saying, when Juliet tasted the bitter wormwood on my nipple, she became irritated and had a falling out with my teat. “Shake” sounded the pigeon house, but no one needed to tell me to get the hell away from there. And it’s been eleven years since then. She was starting to stand up; I swear on Christ’s cross that she was running and wobbling around. Just the day before she fell flat on her face and banged her forehead. And then my husband--god rest his soul, he was a witty man--picked up the child.

To bid me trudge.

And since that time it is eleven years.

Performance

Lines 27-50

[Click to launch video.]

For then she could stand alone — nay, by the rood,

She could have run and waddled all about;

For even the day before, she broke her brow,

And then my husband — God be with his soul,

A' was a merry man — took up the child.

'Yea,' quoth he, 'dost thou fall upon thy face?

Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit;

Wilt thou not, Jule?' and, by my holidame,

The pretty wretch left crying and said 'Ay.'

To see now how a jest shall come about.

I warrant, an I should live a thousand years,

(Nurse)

And he said, “Oh, did you fall on your face? You’ll fall on your back when you’re grown up, won’t you little Julie?” And I swear by the Holy Mary that the pretty thing stopped crying and said “Yep.” You see how a joke starts! I guarantee, if I live to a thousand, I’ll never forget it. “Won’t you little Julie?” said he; and the pretty fool replied, “Yep.”

Lady Capulet

That’s enough of this. Please, stop talking.

Nurse

Yes, madam. But I can’t help laughing. To think she stopped crying and said, “Yep.”

I never should forget it. 'Wilt thou not, Jule?' quoth he;

And, pretty fool, it stinted and said 'Ay.'

Lady Capulet

Enough of this; I pray thee, hold thy peace.

Nurse

Yes, madam. Yet I cannot choose but laugh,

To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.'

And yet, I warrant, it had upon its brow

A bump as big as a young cockerel's stone;

A perilous knock; and it cried bitterly.

'Yea,' quoth my husband, 'fall'st upon thy face?

Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest to age;

Wilt thou not, Jule?' it stinted and said 'Ay.'

Juliet

(Nurse)

And I swear she had a bump on her forehead the size of a rooster’s ball. A terrible knock and she was crying bitterly. “Well, did you fall on your face?” my husband said. “You’ll fall backwards when you’re grown up, won’t you Julie?” And she stopped and said “Yep!”

Juliet

And you stop, too, please nurse, I mean it.

Nurse

Okay, I’m done. God bestowed his grace on you, you were the prettiest baby I ever nursed. If only I would live to see you married one day, that would grant my wish.

And stint thou too, I pray thee, nurse, say I.

Nurse

Peace, I have done. God mark thee to his grace,

Thou wast the prettiest babe that e'er I nursed.

An I might live to see thee married once,

I have my wish.

Lady Capulet

Mary, that 'marry' is the very theme

I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter Juliet,

How stands your disposition to be married?

Juliet

It is an honor that I dream not of.

Nurse

Lady Capulet

Indeed, getting married is exactly what I came to discuss. Tell me, Juliet, what are your feelings about marriage?

Juliet

It’s an honour that I don’t dream of.

Nurse

An honor! If I hadn’t been your only nurse, I’d say you must have sucked some wisdom from a breast from which you nursed.

Lady Capulet

Well, start thinking of marriage now. Here in Verona girls younger than you--and very respectable young ladies at--are already becoming mothers. By my calculation, I had you when I was about your age, and you’re still a virgin. The crux of the matter is that the honorable Paris has asked for your hand in marriage.

An honor! Were not I thine only nurse,

Wordplay

“honor”

[Click to see note.]

Wordplay

“honor”

Juliet dreams not of the privilege and pleasure of being married.

But the Nurse puns on the sound of the words. After all, "honour" sounds a lot like "on her," which conjures the image of a man lying on a woman

I would say thou hadst suck'd wisdom from thy teat.

Lady Capulet

Well, think of marriage now. Younger than you

Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,

Are made already mothers. By my count,

I was your mother much upon these years

That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief,

The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.

Nurse

A man, young lady! Lady, such a man

As all the world — why, he's a man of wax.

Lady Capulet

Verona's summer hath not such a flower.

Nurse

Nay, he's a flower; in faith, a very flower.

Wordplay

“wax” and “flower”

[Click to see note.]

Wordplay

“wax” and “flower”

The Nurse says that Paris is handsome like sculpture, or a man of wax. Lady Capulet then adds to the compliment, comparing him to a beautiful flower. But the Nurse, of course, makes a bawdy pun out of these descriptions. To wax is to swell (as in a waxing moon), and to flower is to sprout, and this imagery acts as sexual innuendo, meant to refer to a man's arousal.

Lady Capulet

What say you? Can you love the gentleman?

This night you shall behold him at our feast.

Nurse

Dear young lady what a man! The world hasn’t seen such a man--why, he’s the model of a man.

Lady Capulet

There’s no flower in Verona’s summer that’s as fine as he is.

Nurse

A beautiful flower of a man, indeed.

Lady Capulet

What do you say? Could you love this gentleman? You’ll see him at our dinner party tonight. If you read him like a book I’m sure you’ll find beauty had a major hand in the writing. I’m sure his fine features will make you content. You’ll be able to read what he’s really like on the inside when you read his eyes like notes in the margin.

Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face,

And find delight writ there with beauty's pen.

Examine every married lineament,

Wordplay

“married lineament,” “content,” and “volume”

[Click to see note.]

Wordplay

“married lineament,” “content,” and “volume”

These lines make use of several moments of wordplay to offer two possible interpretations:

Lady Capulet wants Juliet read Paris like a book (volume), in which the subject matter (content) is adorned with harmonious and beautiful illustrations (married lineament).

The shape (volume) of Paris' face, with its harmonious features (married lineaments) will make her happy (content).

And see how one another lends content.

And, what obscured in this fair volume lies,

Language

“obscured”

[Click to see note.]

Language

“obscured”

"Obscured" can mean "hidden," as in Paris' true nature is hidden in his face.

But the word can also mean difficult to understand. And obscure passages in a book are often explained by notes in the margin—or, in the case of Paris' face, "written in the margent of his eyes."

Performance

Lines 81-96

[Click to launch video.]

Find written in the margent of his eyes.

This precious book of love, this unbound lover,

Metaphor

"unbound"

[Click to see note.]

Metaphor

"unbound"

To be "unbound" is to be not legally obligated, as Paris is not legally bound in matrimony—yet.

But, continuing the extended metaphor, the word can also refer to book binding.

To beautify him, only lacks a cover.

The fish lives in the sea, and 'tis much pride

Allusion

“The fish lives in the sea”

[Click to see note.]

Allusion

“The fish lives in the sea”

This proverb is another way of referring to the obvious natural or best condition of something. The fish lives in the sea because that’s where the fish belongs.

For fair without, the fair within to hide.

That book in many's eyes doth share the glory,

That in gold clasps locks in the golden story;

So shall you share all that he doth possess,

(Lady Capulet)

If all a good book needs is a beautiful cover, all this eligible man needs is a good wife. Birds of a feather flock together, and it’s only common sense that a man of this distinction should be paired with a woman of your quality. You will both reflect well on each other, like a book with a good story inside a lovely cover and vice versa. You won’t lose anything by marrying him, you’ll gain from sharing what he brings to the relationship.

Nurse

No less of a woman indeed. Ha, he’ll make you a bigger woman, in a few months--that’s what men do to us!

Lady Capulet

In short, do you think you can reciprocate Paris’ love?

Juliet

Based on your glowing description of him, I expect that I’ll like him if it’s just a matter of looks. But I won’t get attached to him without your consent.

By having him, making yourself no less.

Nurse

No less! Nay, bigger; women grow by men.

Wordplay

“making yourself no less”

[Click to see note.]

Wordplay

“making yourself no less”

These lines provide another moment of inadvertent wordplay by the Nurse:

Here, Lady Capulet means that Juliet will not be less of a person once she's married to Paris.

The Nurse turns the idea bawdy by implying that Juliet will literally grow—get bigger—with pregnancy.

Lady Capulet

Speak briefly, can you like of Paris' love?

Juliet

I'll look to like, if looking liking move.

Wordplay

“look”

[Click to see note.]

Wordplay

“look”

Shakespeare uses some wordplay to take advantage of two possible meanings of “look”:

In the first sense, "look" means "expect." Juliet expects to like Paris, after she sees him.

In the second sense, "looking" simply means "seeing." Once she sees Paris, if she likes what she sees, she'll like him.

But no more deep will I indart mine eye

Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.

[Enter a Servant]

Servant

Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you

called, my young lady asked for, the nurse cursed in

the pantry, and every thing in extremity. I must

Servant

Madam, the guests are all here, supper is served, you are called for, Juliet is asked for, they’re cursing the nurse in the pantry, and everything is in chaos. I have to go wait on the guests. Please, come right away.

Lady Capulet

We’ll follow you. Juliet, Count Paris is waiting.

Nurse

Go ahead, girl. You have happy days now, he can give you happy nights.